Vases with an everyday hardware bent. Porcelain cleaning bottles by the ceramics company Middle Kingdom & drainpipe vases constructed by the always fun 101 woonideeën.
Archive for August, 2011
Gone to pot.
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011Want.
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
We’ve found heaven, it’s in Venice.
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011The Olivetti Showroom in Venice was commissioned in the late ’50s and designed by Carlo Scarpa. Just recently it was restored to its former glory and houses a collection of typewriters & calculators. Great building + office type things = school trip. Want to come? we’ll book a coach. (pics via coolhunter/okolo).
Eraser of the Century.
Friday, August 26th, 2011Simply the best eraser in the world. Not only does it resemble a flag but each section is for a different writing instrument. This is old. The petition starts now to bring it back!
A friday cocktail.
Friday, August 26th, 2011If you do one thing this weekend please make sure it’s making a confetti martini. Via colormekatie.
Game on.
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011Old peg game cards. It looks like a happy town.
Bela Kolarova.
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011Intricate arrangements and photograms of buttons, razor blades, clips and pins by Czech artist Bela Kolarova.
A perfect arrangement.
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011The prolific Kjell Varvin arranges ‘insignificant objects’ in his studio and takes photos of the arrangements. Aren’t they marvellous? Yes, they are.
Shape up.
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011The pictures won’t blow you away but the supply of free nets might do. Churn out a polyhedra in no time with this useful site.
Raw Colour.
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011Raw Colour are a Dutch collective who experiment with simple colour and shape in a variety of fun and interesting ways. Their series ‘Flow’ ,paint charts on electric drills, is especially nice. The ‘This is Basic’ series features chunky blocks of coloured paper. What’s not to like?
Good wood.
Monday, August 22nd, 2011Like a great big pile of logs, this is the most perfect cabin ever. We would like to serve customers from the windows, with bags of erasers, pencils and the like. Designed by Piet Hein Eek.
Boxes.
Monday, August 22nd, 2011Ravishing boxes maketh a monday. Old clips, pins, glitter (we’re saving this for C*******s) & correction tape. Some of these will be making an appearance on the shelves this week.
Ken-structivism.
Friday, August 19th, 2011Yesterday we discovered Kenneth Martin, an abstract painter/sculptor from Sheffield. In the 70s he produced this series of striped paintings. Striking and colourful with a hint of electrical insulating tape. Thanks Ken.
Airheads.
Thursday, August 18th, 2011Airheads are kits of paper pieces with which you can turn a balloon into your favourite animal. Will raise a smile, as well as a ‘why didn’t I think of that’ moment. Super nice. By Hector Serrano pics via dezeen.
Apartamento
Wednesday, August 17th, 2011You can always rely on Apartamento to make you look at something differently. Every issue has a great shoot using everyday objects, or materials, in a snazzy new way. Here we have bricks, glasses of water and wood. Never let us use the word ‘snazzy’ again.
Closet case.
Tuesday, August 16th, 2011Pastoe give good cupboard. Want x 1000000.
A summer project: Memo-pops!
Monday, August 15th, 2011If the kids are bored or you fancy making a fun gift then here is a summer themed stationery project. Memo-pops! Easy, graphic, fun.
1. You will need: wooden popsicle sticks, pads of sticky notes, pencil, glue, circle cutter, eraser, knife, ruler, card, packaging (optional)
2. Decide on your shapes. Varying scales make the memos more fun and geometric shapes are easiest to cut. Use a compass cutter for the circles. It is easier if you split the pad of stickies so you can cut neater layers, and then reassemble once you have cut out the shapes. A blob of blue tac will prevent a hole going all the way through the pad. Be sure to cut the shape within the section which contains the sticky part, otherwise your memos will fall off! Make sure you recycle the waste.
3. Once you have chosen your shapes arrange them on the stick, and draw around them onto the card. Cut this shape out.
4. Attach the stick with glue to the back of the card cut out. On the reverse side glue on the memo pads.
5. There are infinite possibilities. Cheap stickies come in lots of colours and sizes. You can add your name on the stick with transfers or even handwriting.
6. Make lists!
Esquire Cookbook; 1955
Monday, August 15th, 2011The Esquire Cookbook ,published in 1955, is a hefty tome full of slightly dubious recipes but fun illustrations by Charmatz. Here’s a tasting menu, the french duck and angry rabbit are favourites.
A happy landing.
Thursday, August 11th, 2011You could happily lose several hours in this treasure trove of airline ephemera. It’s a first class flight of graphics, type & colour. Enjoy!
Desk Set of the Week.
Thursday, August 11th, 2011Should we ever see this briefcase/desk set in real life it is likely we would faint. Thanks Tomas Kral, it’s amazing.
Taken to Tasca.
Wednesday, August 10th, 2011Today we discovered Alessio Tasca and his beautiful mid century ceramics. He produced some desktop items that we are particular taken with. That ceramic desk organiser is marvellous and those bookends are something else (images via Pinterest & Google). 
Cat Scan.
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011Bit bored? scan your cat. Things you will need: a cat, a scanner. Insert here.
Stitch up.
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011Shaun Kardinal’s stitched postcards are still some of the best around. We need one for the wall. Or maybe two! More here.
We’ll take one of everything please.
Monday, August 8th, 2011If you visit one place today then make it here. A huge collection of old game instructions, graphics, labels and more. Bookmarked.
A lot of lots.
Monday, August 8th, 2011If you’ve got a spare hour or six then we thoroughly recommend a virtual trip to PBA Auctions. Peruse their catalogues and find funny, amazing, random, inspiring things. Our favourites so far are: kids, classics, italian, just plain random (check out parts 1 & 2 also).
